The Mutt Inside
by Eshkimo-Kisses
Summary: As Cato lies dying at the Cornucopia, he sees and hears some familiar things... CatoxClove


The Mutt Inside:

Okay, so it was 2am.. and this song came out of my ipod. I heard this one line and then surrendered totally to Clato feels.. Also to those of you who have commented, liked, etc... on all my other stories. you are amazing! I do want to update 'mine' but... yeah writers block.. You all know how it gets.. anyway! on with the story? :)

'and when I close my eyes and drift away, I think of you and everythings okay..'

- Taylor Swift and Boys like Girls.

It was the end, I could feel it. The pain had risen to an all time burning high, until eventually it had settled down to a dull ache I could barely feel, the mutts had done their job perfectly and had reduced me to what was literally a pile of human mince meat.. The mutts tore around me snarling and grabbing, their teeth still digging in where possible, in the blind rage channeled into them, they attacked me, they attacked each other, it was for lack of a better word unnatural..

Despite their very human eyes.. There was no way that these monsters were the tributes that had been slaughted over the course of these games ... A high pitched familiar cry of pain suddenly rang through the snarling pack, and hitting my eardrums through the haze of red that had settled over my vision before another cry made me blink and focus back on reality trying to find where the noise had come from, before I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a small mutt had been taken down by the others and had collapsed next to me, just within touching distance, with great difficulty I managed to turn my neck to face it, and noticed the blood spilling down it's chest where it had been ripped opened savagely, before I noticed with a jolt the stone grey collar with a engraved stone hanging from it bearing the number '2'.

Where previously not an hour prior I had been slashing at them with no abandon for them.. I couldn't help but stare at the poor beast that let out another almost human whine of pain before it's eyes opened and I realised once again, for the second time, I was staring into Clove's dying eyes. and there was nothing I could do for her but watch and hope it passed peacefully.. I managed with a loud groan and scream of agony to reach out a battered and torn up hand in it's direction..

The small mutt reached it's dark muzzle out to me whining pitifully and nuzzled what remained of my hand before softly looking at me with an almost apologetic expression, just before her eyes closed again for what I hoped would be the last time.. And that they would let her rest in peace, and be undisturbed, They had already taken her life process my will to live, Yet it was not enough for the sick bastards, they had to maninpulate her death as well..

I could no longer win these games for her like I had promised her the night before the games, and as she lay dying and mute in my arms... I knew that much, after her death, I had even realised the Capitol never wanted me, to them I was just disposable, they only cared about their 'starcrossed lovers'.. And didn't even realise there was an even greater love under their noses the entire time, that of mine and Clove's.. A love that had spanned over 16 years..

The morning started breaking and the early light illuminated the field, showing the torn grass and bloodshed from both myself and the mutts making the field look more like battlefield. why wouldn't they just let me die?.. I looked up with difficulty at the shining gold of the cornucopia gleaming brightly making my eyes sting and water, and finally tearing myself away from where the mutts had backed off somewhat away from me, and averting my eyes away from Clove's mutts body.. and gazed up at the Girl on Fire seeing a spark of sympathy and pain flash through her eyes before catching her gaze mouthing one word.. 'Please..'

It may have seemed like one small word to everyone else in all of Panem, but in that moment, it meant everything, it meant a chance to escape this hell, the chance to escape this pain and pointless existance I had been subjected to for song long, the chance to see another world where the children were not raised for the slaughter... And a world where I could see Clove again, not this time not lose her to something that ultimately I could not control..

The arrow came flying through the air and pierced my forehead stinging on contact just before everything went dark thoughts seemed to tumble in my head like the speed of light... Whereas Clove's last words were 'Cato'.. only word ringing in my head as my last conscious thought was 'Clove'... the girl with the knife, the girl with the most amazing eyes, the one who never misses, my butcherbird, my Cloverfield.. The hazy light grew brighter and I felt something tug at me as a cannon exploded... I knew the two of us would never make it to heaven.. But maybe, just maybe I could spend forever by her side.. Where I belonged, and where we both belonged..


End file.
